Layered amorphous silicon containing photoconductive element having surface layer with specified optical band gap

Abstract

A light-receiving member for electrophotography comprises a substrate and a light-receiving layer provided on the substrate comprising a photoconductive layer exhibiting photoconductivity comprising an amorphous material containing at least one of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms as the constituent in a matrix of silicon atoms and a surface layer comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms, carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms and the constituents, said surface layer being changed in the distribution concentration in the layer thickness direction of the constituent elements such that matching optical gap is obtained at the interface with said photoconductive layer, and the maximum distribution concentration of the hydrogen atoms within said surface layer being 41 to 70 atomic percent.

We claim: 
     
       1. A light-receiving member for electrophotography comprising asubstrate and a light-receiving layer provided on the substrate comprising a photoconductive layer exhibiting photoconductivity comprising an amorphous material containing at least one of hydrogen atoms and halogen atoms as the constituent in a matrix of silicon atoms and a surface layer comprising an amorphous material containing silicon atoms, carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms as the constituents, said surface layer being changed in the distribution concentration in the layer thickness direction of the constituent elements such that an optical band gap of said surface layer and an optical band gap of said photoconductive layer are matched at an interface between the surface layer and the photoconductive layer and the maximum distribution concentration of the hydrogen atoms within said surface layer being 41 to 70 atomic percent. 
     
     
       2. The light-receiving member according to claim 1, wherien the distribution regions of the constituents in said surface layer exist internally on the substrate side of said surface layer. 
     
     
       3. The light-receiving member according to claim 1, wherein the distribution regions of the constituents in said surface layer cover the entire region of said surface layer. 
     
     
       4. The light-receiving member according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said surface layer contains carbon atoms in the distribution region of the constituent elements in a distribution state more enriched toward the surface side. 
     
     
       5. The light-receiving member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said surface layer contains hydrogen atoms in the distribution region of the constituent element in a distribution state more enriched toward the surface side. 
     
     
       6. The light-receiving member according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said photoconductive layer contains at least one of oxygen atoms and nitrogen atoms. 
     
     
       7. The light-receiving member according to claim 1, further comprising a charge injection preventive layer containing a substance for controlling conductivity in a matrix of silicon atoms as constituent layer of said light-receiving layer. 
     
     
       8. The light-receiving member according to claim 7 wherein the charge injection preventive layer is amorphous. 
     
     
       9. The light-receiving member according to claim 7, wherein the charge injection preventive layer is polycrystalline. 
     
     
       10. The light-receiving member according to claim 7, wherein the distribution regions of the constituents in said surface layer exist internally on the substrate side of said surface layer. 
     
     
       11. The light-receiving member according to claim 7, wherein the distribution regions of the constituents in said surface layer cover the entire region of said surface layer. 
     
     
       12. The light-receiving member according to claim 10 or 11, wherein said surface layer contains carbon atoms in the distribution region of the constituent elements in a distribution state more enriched toward the surface side. 
     
     
       13. The light-receiving member according to any one of claims 7, 10 and 11, wherein said surface layer contains hydrogen atoms in the distribution region of the constituent elements in a distribution state more enriched toward the surface side. 
     
     
       14. The light-receiving member according to any one of claims 7, and 10 and 11 wherein said photoconductive layer contains at least one of oxygen atoms and nitrogen atoms. 
     
     
       15. The light-receiving member according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the charge injection preventive layer contains at least one of oxygen atoms, carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms. 
     
     
       16. The light-receiving member according to claim 15, wherein the charge injection preventive layer contains the substance for controlling conductivity in a distributed state more enriched on the substrate side. 
     
     
       17. The light-receiving member according to claim 15, wherein the charge injection preventive layer contains at least one of oxygen atoms, carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms in a distributed state more enriched on the substrate side. 
     
     
       18. The light-receiving member according to claim 15, wherein the oxygen atoms, the carbon atoms and/or the nitrogen atoms contained in the charge injection preventive.layer exist internally on the substrate side. 
     
     
       19. The light-receiving member according to claim 1, further comprising a longer wavelength light absorbing layer having sensitivity to longer wavelength light containing silicon atoms and germanium atoms as constituent layer of said light-receiving layer. 
     
     
       20. The light-receiving member according to claim 19, wherein the longer wavelength light absorbing layer amorphous. 
     
     
       21. The light-receiving member according to claim 19, wherein the longer wavelength light absorbing layer is polycrystalline. 
     
     
       22. The light-receiving member according to claim 19, wherein the distribution regions of the constituents in said surface layer exist internally on the substrate side of said surface layer. 
     
     
       23. The light-receiving member according to claim 19, wherein the distribution regions of the constituents in said surface layer cover the entire region of said surface layer. 
     
     
       24. The light-receiving member according to claim 22 or 23, wherein said surface layer contains carbon atoms in the distribution region of the constituent elements in a distributions state more enriched toward the surface side. 
     
     
       25. The light-receiving member according to any one of claims 19, 22 and 23 wherein said surface layer contains hydrogen atoms in the distribution region of the constituent elements in a distribution state more enriched toward the surface side. 
     
     
       26. The light-receiving member according to any one of claims 19, and 22 and 23, wherein said photoconductive layer contains at least one of oxygen atoms and nitrogen atoms. 
     
     
       27. The light-receiving member according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein the longer wavelength light absorbing layer contains at least one of substances for controlling conductivity, oxygen atoms, carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms. 
     
     
       28. The light-receiving member according to claim 27, wherein the substance for controlling conductivity is an atom belonging to the group III of the periodic table. 
     
     
       29. The light-receiving member according to claim 27, wherein the substance for controlling conductivity is an atom belonging to the group V of the periodic table. 
     
     
       30. The light-receiving member according to claim 2, further comprising a longer wavelength light absorbing layer having sensitivity to longer wavelength light containing silicon atoms and germanium atoms. 
     
     
       31. The light-receiving member according to claim 30, wherein the charge injection preventive layer is amorphous. 
     
     
       32. The light-receiving member according to claim 30, wherein the charge injection preventive layer is polycrystalline. 
     
     
       33. The light-receiving member according to claim 31 or 32, wherein the longer wavelength light absorbing layer is amorphous. 
     
     
       34. The light-receiving member according to claim 31 or 32, wherein the longer wavelength light absorbing layer is polycrystalline. 
     
     
       35. The light-receiving member according to claim 30, wherein the distribution regions of the constituents in said surface layer exist internally on the substrate side of said surface layer. 
     
     
       36. The light-receiving member according to claim 30, wherein the distribution regions of the constituents in said surface layer cover the entire region of said surface layer. 
     
     
       37. The light-receiving member according to claim 35 or 36, wherein said surface layer contains carbon atoms in the distributaion region of the constituent elements in a distribution state more enriched toward the surface side. 
     
     
       38. The light-receiving member according to any one of claims 30, 35 and 36, wherein said surface layer contains hydrogen atoms in the distribution region of the constituent element in a distribution state more enriched toward the surface side. 
     
     
       39. The light-receiving member according to any one of claims 30, 35 and 36, wherein said photoconductive layer contains at least one of oxygen atoms and nitrogen atoms. 
     
     
       40. The light-receiving member according to claim 30, wherein the charge injection preventive layer contains at least one of oxygen atoms, carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms. 
     
     
       41. The light-receiving member according to claim 30, wherein the charge injection preventive layer contains the substance for controlling conductivity in a distributed state more enriched on the substrate side. 
     
     
       42. The light-receiving member according to claim 40, wherein the charge injection preventive layer contains at least one of oxygen atoms, carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms in a distributed state more enriched on the substrate side. 
     
     
       43. The light-receiving member according to claim 40, wherein the oxygen atoms, the carbon atoms and/or the nitrogen atoms contained in the charge injection preventive layer exist internally on the substrate side. 
     
     
       44. The light-receiving member according to claim 30, wherein the longer wavelength light absorbing layer contains at least one of substances for controlling conductivity, oxygen atoms, carbon atoms and nitrogen atoms. 
     
     
       45. The light-receiving memeber according to claim 30 or 44, wherein the substance for controlling conductivity is an atom belonging to the group III of the periodic table. 
     
     
       46. The light-receiving member according to claim 30 or 44, wherein the substance for controlling conductivity is an atom belonging to the group V of the periodic table. 
     
     
       47. The light-receiving member according to any of claims 1,7 to 9, 19 to 21 and 30 to 32, further comprising an adhesion layer comprising an amorphous material or a polycrystalline material containing silicon atoms and at least one of nitrogen atoms, oxygen atoms and carbon atoms as constituent layer of said light-receiving layer.